Apr 20, 2012

The Wages of Greed


Shown above are former customers with a former merchant, in a former store, in a former building on Hamilton Street. They are all gone now, replaced by a hole and lawsuits. When I first starting blogging about the arena, over a year ago, there wasn't too much interest. I wrote about fairness, level playing fields and the years those merchants had invested in Hamilton Street. They pleaded to no avail with the Administration and City Council; They even had a meeting with Pat Browne. They are an industrious people, and landed on their feet. I cannot say the same for Allentown. If it was greed or arrogance, apparently the Reilly/Pawlowski/Browne cartel reached for a little too much. Townships have joined townships defending their tax-base against the EIT grab. Developers outside of the NIZ will now also legally assert themselves to remain competitive. As Pennsylvania cuts back on services, local representatives will have to explain their vote for HOCKEY-GATE. As the bonds are delayed, if not cancelled, a local banker and bank will have to hope for repayment. J.B. Reilly is now sitting on a square block of inter-city apartments, not the clientele he envisioned. One thing is for certain, if the project gets back on track, the pot will not be as sweet as the big boys hoped, nor should it.

 April 16, 2011 Involuntary Conversion
 April 19, 2011 Late, and Maybe Wrong
 April 19, 2011 Hailstorm at City Hall
 May13, 2011   Hardball for Hockey
 May 17,2011  A Quick Learner
 May 18.2011  Another Day, Another Battle
 May 19,2011  The Night Hamilton Street Died
 May 21,2011  Pawlowski's Sham
 May 24,2011  A Better Arena Site
 May 27,2011  Exaggerating the Arena
 May 30,2011  Stealing Allentown's Treasures
 June 2,2011   Ripping Out Downtown's Heart
 June 3,2011   Open Letter to Lee Butz
 June 8,2011   Moving the Gooks 
 June 8,2011   Molovinsky Takes Aim
 June 15,2011 Asians Offered Rickshaw Concession
 June 17,2011 Step Right Up, Prize Every Time
 June 28,2011 Arena Shell Game
 July 7,2011    Raw Cookie Dough
 July 14,2011  Allentown's Double Standard
 Aug. 25,2011New Twist to Arena Dance
 Aug. 26,2011Arena Gets Press Pass
 Sept.  8,2011 Allentown's Future
 Sept.11,2011 The End of the End
 Sept.15,2011 Who Needs Shopping
 Sept.20,2011 Allentown's Malaise
 Sept.21,2011 Your Esteemed Opinion
 Oct. 3, 2011   Korean on Mayor's Menu
 Oct. 6,2011   Allentown's Tea Leaves
 Oct.11,2011  Unhappy Campers
 Oct.14,2011  The Morning Call Forgets The Meat
 Oct.20,2011  Who Thinks You're Dumber
 Oct.23,2011  Future Downtown Arena Attendee
 Oct.27,2011  Allentown Picks Winner, Then Announces Contest Rules
 Oct.31,2011  Gentrification Day in Allentown
 Nov.3,2011 Pawlowski's Palace of Sport
 Nov.5,2011 Secrets From The Shadow
 Nov.14,2011Public Arena Meetings
 Nov.20,2011Selling The Arena
 Nov.30,2011Arena Dooms Old Allentown
 More Hockey Arena Posts from the molovinsky on allentown  archives will be added later in the week

12 comments:

  1. Buying a hockey arena when economic condtions are so tough makes no sense.

    How much money has KNBT sunk into this project so far - just the $20 million Reilly got as walking around money?

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  2. there is also $35 million acquisition and demolition and I believe $10 million more is pending to keep the site preparation going. there may also be another bank involved.

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  3. This whole fiasco is insulting and totally disrespectful of long term residents (40 or more years), and native born Allentownians alike. Destroying historical architecture in the name of so called progress.
    This Joker in City Hall has only been using Allentown to "feather his political nest" and move on to higher office to rape and plunder the rest of Pa......

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  4. (40 or more years)
    -
    25 years doesn't count?
    You can't be too much more disgusted than I am.

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  5. ArtsQuest lost $700,000 last year......

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  6. 2 + 2 = 4. Always has and always will. Greed may lead to one large institution loosing it's tax free status. Can not serve the poor through sports medicine. Think the IRS won' t notice? This is what happens when a politician thinks he / she is a God and others are too weak to stand up to him / her and execute basic due dilligence. The citizens of Allentown voted this character in. They should not complain!

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  7. @8:23, I'm disappointed in LVHN. the sports medicine location, at the arena, certainly seems to have a political component, beyond being an incredibility inconvenient location for patients. the community would be better off if the hospital made more of a commitment to their 17th and Chew St. location.

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  8. Hospitals like to posture as something they are not and claim not to be what they are. Both hospitals and insurance companies are two of the primary reasons health care costs are so high. They, the hospitals, seem to fail to appreciate the impact the floundering economy will have on their profitability. The division of classes economically will cut into their bottom line. Failure to recognize this reality will be their undoing. They cannot see themselves as anything but big business when they claim they are not. The circumstances underlying this whole arena issue is proof their sports medicine decision is an act of business not compassion and concern for a community lacking access to care. All hospitals are extremely political animals. They very quietly but purposefully ally themselves with the majority party always keeping the minority party on a tight leash.

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  9. Anonymous 25 years,
    One year or a life time, If you love Allentown as much as Michael and I do. The whole mess is disgusting.
    Those in power, both in private and public sectors have lost their ethics, and we in turn are losing our Heritage....

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  10. "The citizens of Allentown voted this character in. They should not complain!"
    That is absolute crap!
    Although I would never vote for Pud and his ilk, even if I had,
    that fact does NOT prohibit protest, anger and disgust at behavior unbecoming elected officers.
    You get what you deserve is BS.
    These elected officers are representatives.
    When they cease to behave in the manner expected by voters, protest is mandatory.

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  11. Mike, two things: 1, you hit the nail on the head, with this post and the issue, thanks for staying on it. 2, it may be the hospital got $5/foot and it has nothing to do with the poor?

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  12. $5.00 a square foot could go a long way in providing much needed clinic space closer to the population with access to care issues.

    Would that be an appropriate use of the space, or does it not fit in to the grand plan?

    Perhaps then there is a strategic initiative in place that excludes certain classes of Allentown's population.

    Please tell us more!

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